Album Review

Hailing from the famous punk rock town of, er, Portland, ME, the Leftovers released their debut full-length after touring regionally with the likes of the Mopes and Teenage Bottlerocket and putting in their compilation-and-splits dues. "Full-length" is something of an exaggeration (On the Move clocks in at under 30 minutes), but that's part of the charm of bands like this — there's no time wasted on intros or outros, no stupid "sketches" or "interludes" to weigh things down, just short, sharp, hook-laden tunes all featuring heart-on-sleeve vocals and buzzsaw guitars. There's pure bubblegum lurking underneath the crunchy veneer of "Dance with Me," and the handclaps that you keep expecting throughout that compact gem of a song appear on the next and equally hooky track, "She She She." "Mind Off You" and "See You Tonight" are the band's twin masterpieces, a pair of punk-pop classics that last almost exactly two minutes each (and the second of which, if you listen carefully, evokes Elvis Costello circa Get Happy!). On a few of these songs the hooks could be just a bit sharper and more memorable, but it seems likely that the band is going to progress in just that direction. Highly recommended.

Biography

Formed: 2002 in Portland, ME

Genre: Alternative

Years Active: '00s

Delivering hot-wired pop-punk with sharp melodic hooks and enough energy to power a fleet of 18-wheelers, the Leftovers hail from Portland, ME, and consist of Kurt Baker on bass and lead vocals, Andrew Rice on guitar and backing vocals, and Adam Woronoff on drums. Formed in 2002, the Leftovers made their recording debut in 2003 with an EP titled Mitton Street Special. A year later, the band released their first full album, Stop Drop Rock N Roll. Cheapskate Records joined forces with the band for...